


Mango Tango

by Laney1728



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Kathryn Janeway is smoking hot and it's time everyone else caught on to this fact, Kathryn Janeway needs sex, Not as smutty as one might think, Sexy Times, She also just needs a hug, awkward seductions, magical fruit that gives everyone boners, not so awkward seductions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:21:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23235370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laney1728/pseuds/Laney1728
Summary: While on shore leave in paradise, Kathryn tries a fruit that supposedly fulfills your hearts desire. Once back on the ship, the men of Voyager take notice of their captain and compete for her affections.
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway, Kathryn Janeway/Ayala, Kathryn Janeway/Tom Paris
Comments: 24
Kudos: 72





	Mango Tango

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jemabean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemabean/gifts).



> Alright, most of us are stuck in our homes, bored out of our minds while the world is going to absolute shit! I hope this piece of fic makes you smile. It's meant to be pure fun so please enjoy and stay safe out there! <3

"I want to thank you for such a wonderful and enlightening experience. Your crew managed to impress many of our people with their knowledge and kindness. Should you ever find yourselves in need of another shore leave while in the area, know you are always welcome on Garmaniea." 

The head of Garmaniea’s council, Amoroe, walked with Kathryn in the community gardens after a long day of trade negotiations. Long blades of the deep blue grass brushed up against her bare ankles. There was a soft breeze that carried the sweet scent of flowers. The crew had spent three days in this paradise, and even during negotiations, Kathryn felt at peace. 

"Thank you, that is very much appreciated, along with the generous amount of food and supplies you've traded us. I'm sad to leave such a beautiful place, but we should get back on our journey."

He smiled, his hazel eyes twinkling in the glow of two suns setting. She felt the slightest bit of deja vu looking into those eyes. There was something familiar about them, but she wasn’t sure what. She brushed the feeling off once he spoke again. 

"I understand." he said. He paused for a moment and stopped walking, taking in the scenery from his spot. 

After a few moments in the quiet, he looked at her and sighed. 

"I sense a longing in you, Kathryn," he said. 

She looked at him curiously, and with a soft smile, replied: "I long to get my crew home."

He shook his head and looked at her with amusement. 

"No, there is something else. A longing in your heart, something is missing." 

Kathryn thought for a moment what he might mean. Perhaps he was talking about her family. Of course, she missed them terribly, but as days went on, it became more and more tolerable. 

"Follow me," he said, taking her by the hand. The moment their fingers intertwined she felt something akin to butterflies in her stomach. It wasn’t from Amoroe himself, so much as the pure tenderness of having a hand to hold. She missed that feeling. 

They walked in silence for a few minutes before she realized he was taking her to the tallest tree in the garden. It towered over every other tree with its white bark and pink leaves with orange blossoms. On a few select branches were perfectly rounded fruits, deep blood red in color. 

Amoroe reached towards one of the lower branches that held the fruit. He plucked one and handed it to her.

"What is it?" she asked, feeling the delicate soft skin and bringing it to her nose to smell the sweet scent. The fragrance reminded her of the fresh strawberries from her mother’s garden, they’d pick them every summer. 

"It is the fruit of desire. With one bite, it knows exactly what you need, and it gives it to you.” Amoroe’s hand brushed her arm. “Go on," Amoroe urged, his hand was caressing her wrist as he raised Kathryn's hand that held the fruit towards her mouth. Entranced by the soft tone of his voice and the beauty of the fruit itself, she had no intention of arguing. Her mouth watered in anticipation of her first bite. 

As her teeth sunk into the fruit, the sweet juices dripped down her chin, but the flavor was so overwhelmingly delicious that she didn't care. 

He chuckled and helped clean off her face with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. The two of them continued to talk while she finished the rest of the fruit. Once the suns had fully set, they bid each other adieu, and she went back to the shuttle, where Tom was waiting for her. 

A smirk fell upon his lips when he noticed she was out of uniform. "Casual Friday already, Captain?"

"Just enjoying what was left of our shore leave, Mr. Paris. I have no doubt you did the same," she replied. 

"Of course," he sighed contentedly as he took his seat. 

"I'll change back into my uniform while you get us ready." 

"Why? We have plenty of time before we reach Voyager, you don't have to change just yet. Besides, the blue of your dress matches your eyes...I like it."

She chuckled and took her seat. "Well, if it matches my eyes," her tone held a playful sarcasm. 

She noticed his smile grow when he realized she'd wear her dress just a little bit longer. 

After they started on their set course, Tom turned away from the controls. "Do you remember that dinner party for my dad's 50th birthday?" he asked. 

She paused to think."Over 15 years ago?" she asked. 

"Yeah, that's the one."

"I vaguely remember it. Why do you ask?"

He paused, looking down at the ground. When he looked up, she saw a hint of embarrassment in his expression. It intrigued her, considering he normally remained confident and cool, rarely letting anyone see past that wall. 

"That night, you wore a similar dress. Same color." 

"You were there?" she asked.

"Only for a moment. I was eighteen at the time, always finding excuses to get out of the house. I remember I'd forgotten something, and I walked through the party to grab it. Then I saw you. You were deep in conversation, laughing at something my mother said. When my eyes caught sight of you, I thought I had never seen anyone more beautiful." 

She was frozen, unsure of how to take what he was saying. Finally, she tried to speak. "That's very sweet of you to say, but I think this conversation might not be entirely appro--"

He cut her off. 

"I still think that you know, and seeing you in that dress reminded me how much. I think you're gorgeous, Kathryn," he said, leaning closer to her. 

"Maybe it's time I get changed. You should try and stay on task, lieutenant," she did her best to use her commanding tone, but he was unphased. 

She stood to walk away, but he grabbed her hand, quickly rose, and pulled her close to him. Their eyes locked, a hunger in his, anticipation and hesitation in hers. 

“Mr. Paris,” she said, barely trying to break free of his grasp. “You should keep your focus on the helm.”

“It’s on autopilot.” he whispered. 

Their breathing grew heavy. He moved his lips to brush against hers. 

“We shouldn’t,” she whispered in protest, but at the same time, she felt her eyelids flutter shut.

He closed the remaining distance between them, and lips met tenderly. Soon that tenderness turned almost carnal. 

He backed her against the bulkhead, lifting her up and allowing her to wrap both legs around his waist. She moaned loudly as he kissed down her neck, one hand supporting her while the other cupped her breast. His hand then traveled downward, pushing her dress up to her hips. The tips of his fingers hooked the band of her panties, and just as he was about to touch her where she needed it most, they heard it. 

"Voyager to Sacagawea." 

Chakotay's voice sent a wave of shock through her. She quickly pushed Tom away, readjusted her dress, and told him to answer the call. 

Immediately afterward, she changed into her uniform, and the two remained dead silent for the rest of their journey. Just as they landed in the shuttle bay, she finally asked herself the question floating in her mind:  _ What the hell was that? _

* * *

She tried to expunge the events from earlier that day from her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop focusing on how good it felt to be kissed, touched, and to be seen as a desirable woman. It had been a long time since she really felt like that, but regardless of how nice it was, she shouldn’t have given in. 

She shook her head and continued down the corridors on her way to the turbolift. As she got on, Harry Kim walked in behind her. She ordered the turbolift to take her to the bridge. 

“Good Evening, Captain,” he said politely. 

“How are you, Mr. Kim? Did you enjoy your shore leave?”

She glanced at him, and within a few moments, his whole demeanor had changed. He actively avoided looking her in the eyes, and he became quite jittery, fidgeting his hands for a moment before clasping them behind his back. 

“Um..ye- yes, Ma’am, I did,” he stammered.

“Is something wrong?” she asked. 

“No...no ma’am nothing’s wrong, nothing at all,” he spoke quickly. 

“Are you sure? You seem a little anxious.”

She placed a hand on his shoulder, and suddenly his eyes widened. His hands instantly flew from behind his back to his front, clasped together to block his crotch. 

A bright red blush formed in his cheeks, and when Kathryn realized why, she quickly removed her hand from his shoulder and turned to face the doors. A hot blush of her own ran from her cheeks down to her neck. Neither said a word. 

As the doors opened, Harry wasted no time in quickly walking over to his station. Kathryn remained in her spot for a moment, shocked and confused by what had just occurred. She slowly walked to her chair, still horrified. 

When Chakotay arrived for his shift twenty minutes later, she announced that she would be in her ready room. Once the doors closed she allowed her thoughts to drift back to everything that had happened. Were all the men on this ship losing it? First, Tom came on to her, then the incident with Harry.  _ Who next? _ She asked herself.

As if the universe wished to respond to her, the doors opened again. Chakotay walked through, reports in hand, and a smirk across his face. She blew out a breath of relief, feeling she could always relax in his presence. 

“Sorry to bother you, but I have those reports you asked for earlier,” he said. 

He walked towards her desk and handed her the PADD. As he did so, their fingers brushed against one another, sending a spark through them both. He turned to leave, but hesitated and faced her once more. 

“Permission to speak freely?” he asked. 

“Of course.” 

He circled around her desk and knelt in front of her chair. She grew slightly uneasy at his closeness. 

“There’s something I need to tell you, and I need you to let me finish before you go interrupting me.” 

“Alright,” she replied nervously. 

He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes before starting. 

“I have never known anyone quite like you, Kathryn. You are incredibly smart, brave, kind, and beautiful, and your friendship has been the greatest gift. Months ago, when we were on New Earth, I tried to tell you how I really feel. I ended up poorly hiding it behind an ancient legend, but standing here in front of you now, I think I finally have the courage to just say it---”

Her eyes widened as she realized what he was getting at. 

“Chakotay, please don’t,” she begged.

“I love you.” he said.

Her stomach dropped, and she felt unable to breathe. After a few moments of silence, she finally gathered enough air to whisper. 

“Chakotay--”

She shook her head. 

“Kathryn, I love you more than I can put into words, and deep down, I know you feel the same.” he continued. 

He slowly wrapped his hand around her neck and leaned in to kiss her. His lips grew closer until breaths intermingled, and she could feel the slightest brush of his mouth send a tingle down her spine. Before their lips met fully, she pushed him away. 

“I...I can’t. I have to go,” she stood up quickly and walked around him. 

She left him kneeling on the ground in shock. Once she was on the bridge, her first thought was that she was in desperate need of guidance. Before Chakotay began to fill that role in her life, she would always turn to someone else.

“Tuvok, may I speak with you in private?” she asked, approaching his station. 

As she got closer to him, she noticed the beads of sweat beginning to form above his brow. He shut his eyes as if begging his body to remain in control. 

“Tuvok, are you alright?” she asked in growing concern. 

His hands gripped at his console as he tried to muffle a grunt of pain. After a deep breath, he looked up at her. 

“I require medical assistance. Permission to go to sickbay?” he said, his breathing ragged. 

“Of course, go. I’ll get someone to cover your station.” 

She turned around just as Chakotay was coming back on the bridge. His expression left nothing to the imagination. He was heartbroken. Not wanting to witness the pain she caused any longer, she excused herself from the bridge. In a split second decision she went to the mess hall, trying to remember the last time she actually ate something. 

As she walked through the doors, she smelled the latest leola root concoction wafting in from the kitchen. The scent alone brought about a wave of nausea that put an end to any hunger she may have felt. She walked to the replicators, content to order a coffee, and be on her way, but Neelix stopped her. 

“Good evening, Captain!” he smiled. 

“Good evening, Neelix,” she chuckled. 

“Can I interest you in tonight’s special? It’s a new recipe I found on Garmaniea. Of course, I added a bit of leola root to give it my own special touch!” 

“That sounds wonderful, but I’m not very hungry. I’ll just take my coffee and be on my way.” She went to take a step towards the replicators, but he stopped her. 

“Nonsense! Have a seat, and I’ll whip up something else for you!”

She held her hand up and shook her head. 

“Really, Neelix, that’s not necessary.”

“I won’t take no for an answer.”

She laughed and sat down at a nearby table. A few minutes later, he approached her with a plate in hand and a satisfied grin on his face. 

“Here you are, Captain.”

She took the plate from his hands, grateful that it smelled and looked surprisingly edible. 

“You didn’t have to go through all the trouble.”

“For you, I’d do anything,” he said, a bit too sincerely. 

Kathryn began to get that uncomfortable feeling which settled in her gut. She prayed to any god or entity that whatever had been affecting the men on this ship managed not to affect Neelix. 

He took the seat opposite her. 

“This is a very special dish captain. It’s from a planet I visited many years ago. The people from this planet called it....the ultimate aphrodisiac. I tend to agree,” as he spoke, he moved his hand to cover hers and looked into her eyes with unabashed lust. 

Her prayers had obviously been ignored. 

“I...I would love to stay and eat, but I really just don’t feel quite right,” she stood up and stumbled towards the door. 

“I should go see the Doctor,” she said on her way out the door. 

When she reached the turbolift, she wondered if going to sickbay might be beneficial after all. Perhaps there was some sort of hormonal imbalance, or maybe Voyager passed through an anomaly that only affects males. But that still wouldn’t explain why they only seem to be acting strange around her alone.

She requested to be taken to sickbay, and when she walked in, she could tell the Doctor was surprised to see her there of her own volition. 

“Captain, what can I do for you?” he asked. 

She looked around at the empty biobeds and one biobed that was surrounded by a privacy screen. 

“Where’s Commander Tuvok? I sent him here a short while ago.”

“Ah yes, well, he presented symptoms of the Pon Farr, but after a short resting period, he returned back to normal. I sent him back to his quarters for monitoring over the next twenty-four hours just to be safe.” 

Her face paled. 

_ Did I send Tuvok into Pon Farr?  _ She thought. 

“Doctor, I think there is something seriously wrong with me.” she blurted. 

He looked at her curiously. 

“Well, according to your last physical, you’re in perfect health. Of course, you could use some proper nutrition, better sleeping patterns, and lower caffeine levels.” 

“I’m not sick, I just--” she paused, unsure how to even explain her current situation without sounding absolutely insane. 

Her voice lowered to a whispering level, even though the two of them seemed to be alone. 

“Every time I’m around a male member of the crew, they seem to...to try and seduce me, or they experience-- physical arousal,” she said, trying and failing to conceal her embarrassment.

“Interesting. So, do you believe there is some sort of hormonal imbalance that might be causing these reactions?” he asked, obviously intrigued by the case she presented him. 

“I have no idea I just---” she stopped herself as a realization struck her. 

“My God, the fruit!” she exclaimed. 

“I’m sorry?” he asked with a furrowed brow. 

“On Garmaniea, their leader gave me a fruit. He told me it knows what a person needs and gives it to them. Perhaps all of this madness is happening because the fruit thought I needed--” she stopped. 

“Sex,” he finished for her. 

“It’s a possibility,” she said, ignoring his obvious amusement. 

“Well, I’ll take some samples and run some tests, but it might take a bit of time before I find any answers, especially since we don’t have a sample of this fruit.”

“Do whatever you need to do, I just need this problem solved as quickly as possible,” she said, walking over to a biobed. 

She took a seat, and the Doctor got to work taking all sorts of samples. After he was done collecting, he brought over a hypospray. 

“This should regulate your hormone levels if that’s the cause of the problem. It will start working as soon as administered.”

He pulled down the collar of her shirt to inject it into her neck and cleared his throat in a suggestive manner. 

“Perhaps I could also use the regenerator to clear up these...markings along your neck,” he said. 

She practically turned bright red, remembering how Tom kissed her neck, obviously carelessly enough to leave a few hickeys behind. 

“I’ll take care of them myself, thank you, Doctor,” she said, trying to hide her embarrassment. 

“I suggest you go to your quarters or even the holodeck until I can find out what the problem is. Just try to avoid the male members of the crew.”

“Alright,” she conceded. 

“Wait here, I’ll go replicate a few more of those hyposprays. You’ll need to take one every two hours.”

She nodded, and he walked away. From behind the privacy screen, Mike Ayala approached her. She huffed in annoyance as she realized she would have to deal with another ‘situation’. 

“What brings you here, captain? Are you due for your annual physical, too?” he asked. 

“No, I’ve come for a personal problem.” 

He stepped a little bit closer. She tried to remain calm, hoping that the hormone regulators the Doctor administered would work.

“Well, if you’re in need of any assistance, Captain, I certainly wouldn’t mind examining every inch of you,” he said, resting a hand on her thigh. 

She rolled her eyes and pushed his hand off. 

“No, thank you, lieutenant,” she said, putting emphasis on his rank. 

“Come on, Kathryn. Why don’t we go back to your quarters and we can play doctor. I’ll even let you touch my scanner.” he moved in closer, running the tips of his fingers up her arm. When he reached the top of her shoulder, he moved his hand to brush the hair from her face. 

She released a shuttered breath.

“As tempting as that sounds, I have to decline.” she stood up, putting some distance between the two of them.

Before he was able to say anything more, the Doctor walked back over. “Here’s the hypospray I--”

Kathryn held up her hand to cut him off. “Thank you, Doctor, but I don’t think I’ll be needing that. It doesn’t work,” she said, motioning towards Ayala, who was still focused hungrily on Kathryn. 

The Doctor put together what was going on and walked over to Mike. “Perhaps Lieutenant Ayala could come with me to run a few tests,” he suggested.

“Is that really necessary?” Ayala asked.

“Yes!” the Doctor and Kathryn said simultaneously. 

Ayala agreed begrudgingly and walked back behind the privacy screen. 

Kathryn thought it would be best to take the Doctor’s advice and go somewhere to avoid certain members of her crew. She decided that she didn’t want to lock herself in her quarters for the rest of the night, so the holodeck would have to suffice.

When she arrived, she decided that her usual romantic programs were not what she wanted, given the circumstances. She wanted to be alone, so she programmed the holodeck to be Sandrine's and to remove all characters except Sandrine herself. 

She walked in, took a seat and the bar, and ordered a drink. 

After a short time in peace, Sandrine turned to face Kathryn, but looked right past her. 

“Ah, Bonjour Thomas, ma petit chou-fleur. So lovely to see you again,” she said. 

She watched a look of anger and shock wash over Sandrine’s face as Tom commanded: “Computer, delete Sandrine.”

“Conard!” Sandrine shouted before dematerializing. 

Kathryn fought the urge to turn around. The lights suddenly grew dim. She sensed his close presence behind her. His breath on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. 

“What are you doing here?” Kathryn asked.

“I thought we could pick up where we left off earlier,” he said, nibbling on her ear. 

His hands wrapped around her, unzipping her jacket and untucking her shirt from her pants. 

Her eyes began to roll back in pleasure, but in an instant, she realized she had to stop. 

Whatever this was, he was not in his right mind. And even if he were, she was his captain, and this situation was entirely inappropriate. 

Just as she was about to pull away from him, he was ripped from her by someone else. 

She jumped nearly a foot in the air and commanded the lights to turn back on. When she looked at the ground, she saw Chakotay pinning Tom to the ground, his expression holding more anger than she had ever seen.

“You stay the hell away from her, Paris,” he growled. 

Tom managed to get an arm free, landing a punch to Chakotay’s jaw. 

“She’s not yours. Just because you pathetically pine over her doesn’t mean she loves you back!” Tom countered. 

The two men stood up and circled one another, preparing for a real fight. 

“I’m ordering the both of you to stop this right now! Stop before someone gets hurt!” she shouted, putting her hands on her hips. 

Neither man would back down, and no longer hesitating, Chakotay took another shot. He punched Tom right in the nose, a stream of blood ran down his face as a result. 

Kathryn wouldn’t take this any longer. She tapped her combadge. 

“Janeway to security. There’s an emergency situation on holodeck two. Take both parties to the brig and keep them separated until I say otherwise.”

Once the security team arrived, she didn’t stick around to watch the rest of the event unfold. She went directly to her quarters and sat on her couch. Her head fell heavily into her hands with a sigh of frustration. 

“Tell me, Kathy, are you having any fun yet? Because I certainly am.”

Kathryn gasped in fright. Her next immediate reaction was a combination of annoyance and disgust. 

“Q! Whatever it is that you want, please just come back some other time...or never preferably. It’s been a very long day,” she huffed. 

“Oh, I know. I’ve come to check and see if you’ve ‘gotten what you need’ yet,” he said suggestively. 

Kathryn stood up slowly, rage bubbling inside her as she realized he was the cause of her problems. 

“This was all your doing?” she shouted. 

“Of course it was!” he said proudly. 

With a snap of his fingers, he transformed into Amoroe, the head of the Garmaniean council. She knew those hazel eyes had seemed familiar! 

After he thoroughly enjoyed watching her jaw drop in shock, he transformed back into himself. 

“I disguised myself as that old bore for a short while so that I could talk to you. I was only trying to help. After you solved my mating problem, I just wanted to return the favor.”

“I do not have a mating problem!”

“Of course not, because you don’t have a mate, but now you can have your pick. As you can see, they all want you!” 

Kathryn shook her head, trying to calm her rage. 

“Q, you shouldn’t have interfered. None of this is your business, and you’ve only made things worse. Please stop this! I demand that you turn everything back to normal and stop messing with my crew!” 

“Oh come on, Kathy, you need to loosen up.”

“Q!” she warned. 

He huffed and snapped his fingers. 

“Fine, have it your way. But don’t say I didn’t try to help you!” he said before disappearing. 

She fell back onto the couch, exhausted. 

She ordered for both Tom and Chakotay to be released to their quarters, and then commed the Doctor to tell him that the problem had been resolved. That night she barely slept, running over the details of everything that had happened that day. The one thing that repeated the most in her mind were those words “I love you.” Had he really meant what he said, or was it all just part of Q’s game? 

The next day she went about her shift as usual. Harry was the first to apologize, but she assured him that never mentioning what happened ever again was apology enough. Ayala stopped by next to say he was sorry for such inappropriate and suggestive behavior. Neelix also felt the need to stop by and apologize for his slight attempt at seduction. She reassured everyone that there was no need. All would be forgiven and forgotten. 

After her shift ended, she walked towards the turbolift, looking forward to a nice warm bath in her quarters. When she stepped inside, she was met with the nervous smile of Tom Paris. 

To put him at ease, she smiled and greeted him with a soft “Mr. Paris.”

He nodded, replying with a simple “Captain”.

He sighed, hesitant to speak, but needing to say something. “I uh, I wanted to clear the air and apologize for...what happened.”

She smirked. “It’s alright. You weren’t exactly in the right state of mind.” 

He let out a breath of relief and chuckled. 

“Although, I do hope you and Commander Chakotay apologized to one another for the incident on the holodeck.”

“Of course. We had plenty of time to work out our problems in the brig.”

She nodded, feeling a little guilty for locking them away like she did. 

“While we’re on the subject...I have to know. Why did you kiss me back?” he asked cheekily. 

She raised her brow and faced the doors to the turbolift. “I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be kissed, and to be touched with such urgency. I shouldn’t have allowed it to go as far as it did. I’m terribly sorry if I took advantage of you, or--” 

“You didn’t take advantage of me. I may not have kissed you, had it been any other day, but that doesn’t mean I’ve never thought about it...or that I didn’t want it to happen.”

“Tom, I hope you understand that nothing can happen between us again,” she warned.

“I’m aware. I have no ideas in my head to the contrary. I mean not that I’m opposed if you ever wanted someone to…”

She chuckled and shook her head. 

“Thank you for the tempting offer, but I can’t.” 

There was a silence for a moment before Tom gained the nerve to continue. 

“Well for what it’s worth, Captain, you’re a damn good kisser.” 

She held in a laugh, and before she said another word, the doors opened to her deck. She walked out but quickly turned back around with a devious grin.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she said, chuckling at his proud reaction. 

As soon as she was in her quarters, she started her bath. After a nice relaxing soak, she decided to sit and read for a while on her couch. She must have dozed off somewhere in chapter three because one moment she was entranced by the words on the page and the next she was being woken up by a chime at her door.

She tossed on her robe and called for whoever it was to enter. 

Chakotay walked in with a soft smile. 

She looked at him curiously and then remembered they still hadn’t talked about what happened. She automatically assumed he had come to say he was sorry. 

“If you’re here to apologize, I assure you, there’s no need. I completely understand that your words and actions yesterday were not your fault.” 

He sighed and tugged nervously at his ear. 

“That’s not exactly why I’m here. I would like to talk about what happened yesterday, but I can’t apologize.” 

She looked at him quizzically and waited for him to elaborate. 

“I am sorry for cornering you and for fighting with Tom, but those things I said, Kathryn, I can’t apologize for them because I meant every word.”

She was frozen once again. Unable to react, as if she had slowed down, but the world around her continued to race past her. 

“I’m not trying to pressure you into anything, and you don’t have to make some grand confession of your feelings for me. Just tell me I’m not crazy for thinking there is something between us that’s more than just friendship.” 

She looked at him, trying to hide the panic from her expression. She wanted to speak, but at that moment she was speechless. 

He took her silence as his answer and, devastated, he turned to leave. 

“Chakotay, wait!” 

He turned back around to face her. 

“You’re not crazy,” she said. 

There was a pause, but before he was too overjoyed at her response, she spoke again.

“But I’m not ready.”

He nodded, walking over to where she sat. 

“I don’t mind waiting.”

She shook her head, standing up to meet him. She took his hand in hers and looked him in the eyes. 

“I can’t ask you to do that,” she said. 

He smiled, looking down at the ground and then back to her. 

“You never have to ask.” 

She felt a few tears burn in her eyes, not realizing one managed to fall until he brushed his thumb against her cheek to wipe it away. 

She looked at him, and without thinking, pulled him down for a kiss. Her head was spinning as she parted her lips to deepen the kiss. He pulled away first, not wanting to go farther before she was ready. 

“Goodnight, Kathryn,” he said, kissing her forehead before walking away. 

When the doors closed, she remained glued to the spot where she stood. Her fingers brushed against her lips, still raw and tingling from the rough tenderness of his kiss. 

Her heart couldn’t decide if it wanted to break or jump for joy. He loved her, and he was waiting for her. In that moment she realized that she couldn’t lie to herself anymore. She loved him too.

“Goodnight,” she whispered to the empty room. 

* * *

Somewhere deep in the Q continuum…

“Kathy and Chuckles sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage then comes--” 

“Would you  _ please _ stop singing that incessant song!” Lady Q shouted. 

Q rolled his eyes and looked at the toddler sitting on the floor in front of him. 

“You liked my song, didn’t you, junior?” he asked. 

The baby whined and turned to crawl away from his father. 

“Of course...just like your mother,” he huffed.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Elephantintheprideparade for the amazing Beta job! Also thank you to Janewayseyebrow for helping me out and giving me suggestions!


End file.
